Apparatus for loading pig-iron



(No Model.)

J.L.BOYER. APPARATUS FOR LOADING PIG IRON.

Patented Mar. 18, 1890.

WITNESSES Attorney A "MAMA N. PETERS. Phul um nymr, wiminawn. DC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEROME L. BOYER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR LOADING PIG-IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,548, dated March 18, 1890.

Application filed May 20,1889. Serial No. 311,437. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEROME L. BOYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, .have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Loading Pig-Iron and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus intended more particularly for lifting pig-iron from the beds and carrying and depositing the same.

In. the ordinary method of handling pigiron in a blast-furnace the pigs are broken from the sows while they are still very hot, and after waiting until they are sufficiently cool to permit it each individual pig is picked from the bed by a laborer and carried to a truck running lengthwise through the center of the cast-house.

In order to provide for the greatest possible yield from the furnace, it is advantageous to remove the pigs promptly, and the unavoidable severity of the laboris greatly increased, especially in warm weathenby the great heat arising from the pigs.

My object is to provide an improved apparatus which will do away with this hard and expensive labor, and at the same time avoid the necessity of waiting until the pigs are sufficiently cooled; and my invention is fully set forth herein and specified in the claims.

Figure 1 represents my complete apparatus as applied to the cast-house of a blast-furnace. Fig. 2 is a separate view of my improved grappling device.

Upon overhead tracks B, parallel with the side walls of the cast-house, runs a carriage O, which spans the whole width of the house, and which carries a trolley D. Flexibly suspended by the yoke cl and joint t from this trolley is a cylinder E, within which works a piston e, whose rod f, passing through the cylinder-head o, is connected by a swivel-j oint g to a rod F, which carries the grappling device. The latter consists of claws G, shaped cord M has two branches,which pass over pu'l- I leys n, secured to the rod F above the togglebars L, and are connected to the ends of the extended shanks Z of the claws G.-

.R represents a steam-tight tank or reservoir which contains water or a non-congealable liquid, such as a mixture of glycerine and water, or other suitable medium for transmitting power to the cylinder E. This medium may fill the reservoir to the height of the dotted line 00, to the space above which steam may be admitted through an inlet-pipe 1', regulated bya suitable valve, and from which the same may be exhausted through a similar pipe .9. A flexible tubing S connects the reservoir with the lower end of the cylinder E.

, N represents a narrow-gage track ordinarily running lengthwise through the center of the cast-house. A truck-P, provided with bars 19, which form a frame to support the pigs q, is moved upon the track.

The operation of myapparatus is as follows: The carriage 0 maybe moved by any suitable means to a position above or approximately above each successive row' of pigs, and the trolley D may be moved sidewise, as desired. The grappling device being suspended above a row of pigs lying inthe pig-bed, the claws G may be opened by pulling on the cord M, and upon closing theinlet-pipe r and opening the exhaustepipe .9 into the reservoir R the piston e is lowered by gravity until the claws enter the sand of the pig-bed, as indicated in Fig. 1. Now upon closing the discharge and opening the inlet the medium is forced into the cylinder E, raising the pistone and the rod F. The movement of the latter by means of the toggle-connection described first closes the claws G to the position indicated-in Fig. 2, thus inclosing as many pigs as were spanned by the claws when opened. WVhen the head 7c on the lower end of rod F comes in contact with the cross-bar H, the continued raising of said rod elevates the claws, together with the eeasas i-nclosed pigs, the lifting-strain coming upon the pins w, while the toggle-bars L maintain the claws in their closed position. Having been raised to a proper height, the trolley D an dits suspendedload are moved overthe truck P, the grappling device is turned on the swivel g and lowered, as before explained, until'the pigs q rest upon the truck-bars 19, when the claws are opened again by pulling upon the cord M and returned to the pig-bed for another load.

I am aware that a suspended grappling device has been heretofore operated by means of power transmitted thereto through a flexible conduit, and also that grappling devices have been so constructed that the claws are closed by the first raising of the rod and the load itself lifted by the continued raising. In my device, however, the claws are not closed against the load or against each other, but the points are always free from compression, and are consequently but little Worn. They are prevented from spreading when sustaining a larly set forth or for the special purpose described; but 7 What I claim is 1. In a loading apparatus, the combination, with a suspended rod having an enlarged lower end, of a grappling device consisting of claws pivoted to a cross-bar sliding on said rod, and toggle-bars having one end pivoted to the eX- tended ends of said claws above said crossbar and the other end pivoted to said rod, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as set forth.

2. In a loading apparatus, the combination, with a suspended rod, of a grappling device consisting of claws pivoted to a cross-bar sliding on said rod, toggle-bars having one end pivoted to the extended ends of said claws above said cross-bar and the other end pivoted to said rod, and a flexible connection to said extended claw ends,whereby said claws may be operated, substantially as setforth.

In tGStIlllOllYWhlQOf I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JEROME L. BOYER. Witnesses:

HEBER BITLER, WV. G. STEWART. 

